calhoun



3 Sheets-Sheet l.

D. I.v CALHOUN; EXCAVAT'ING MACHINERY.`

N5. 552 5v5. Patented Jan. v, '1895.

ANDREW EJSRAHANL PHOTO-UMD. WASMIN ETONJC.

. (No Model.) '3 sheets-sume.

'13.41. CALHOUN. EIXAVATING MACHINERY.

Nor 552,575. Patented Jan. '7, 1896,

II n Nl ANDREW BGRANAM. FHUTO-LITNU. WASHINGTIN. D C

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

D. I. CALHOUN.

` BXGAVATING MACHINERY. 5 No. 552,575. y Patented Jam?, 1895.

ANDREW EGRAHAM.PHUTOUTMQWASHINGDNJ-C.

NiTE rares ATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL I. CALHOUN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CALHOUNEXCAVATOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,575, dated January7, 1896.

Application le August 23, 1895.

T all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I. DANIEL I. CALHOUN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inExcavating Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to excavating machinery of that class in which acarriage running upon a suitable cable supports a scoop adapted forexcavating earth, a carriage being provided with a suitableoperating-rope for raising and lowering the scoop and drawing thecarriage along the cable, and means being provided for securing thecarriage at a predetermined point upon the cable, and also for invertingthe scoop and dropping its contents at a predetermined point beneath thecable. i

The invention is fully described and explained in this specification andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sideelevation of a cable-track, suitably supported at its ends, a carriagerunning upon the track, a scraper dependent from the carriage, and meansfor operating the parts, as hereinbefore suggested and as hereinafterset forth. Fig. 2 is a top plan of a scraper resting upon its iiatsurface, as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. `is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe scraper shown in Fig. 2. Fig. a is a detail view showing one end ofthe transverse latch-operating lever of the scraper. Fig. 5 is anenlarged side elevation illus trating the locking device and a dumpingd'evice on the cable and their operative relation to the carrier andscraper. Fig. 6 is a top plan illustrating the locking device mounted onthe cable. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view, partly in side elevation andpartly in vertical section, of the dumping mechanism. Fig. Sis anenlarged vertical section through the line 8 S, Fig. 5, illustrating themechanism for clamping the dumping attachment at any given point uponthe cable. Fig. 9 is an 0blique section through the line 9 9, Fig. 7,the view being downward.

In the views, Ais a suitable cable-track supported at its ends upontowers or other structures A A', which may be either stationary or semNo. 560,192. (No model.)

movable along parallel lines at right angles to the line of the cable.Upon the cable A runs freely a carriage made up of two plates B B,connected by suitable transverse bolts and provided withrollers R R,lying between the upper margins of the plates and resting upon thecable. An operating-rope R is fastened at r to a pivoted tumbler E,hereinafter fully described, and passes over a pulley R2, mount- 6o edin the carriage, a ruiming-pulley R3 beingv supported upon the ropebetween its end r and the pulley R2. The pulley-block is provided with ahook r, Figs. l and 5, which connects it with the scraper.

At any desired point upon the cable, and usually near one of its ends,is secured alocking device adapted to hold the carriage stationaryduring the operation of lling the scraper, this device being shown inFigs. l, 5, and 6, and being made up of a tube C encircling the cable,dependent arms C C, and horizontal arms C2 C2 adj ustably fastened tothe dependent arms so as to be raised or lowered. At the end toward thecarriage on the cable the arms C2 C2 are spread apart sufficiently toembrace or receive between them the end of the carriage, as indicated inFig. 6, and a transverse rod c, Figs. 5 and 6, eX- tends across thespace between them and is adapted to enter notches N N, Fig. 5, formedin the edges of the plates B B of the carrier. Between the two plates BB is a lockinglever D, pivoted near its center and having at one end ahook or shoulder d, adapted to move upward from the position shown inFig. 5, and thus to engage the rod c and secure the carrier in astationary position upon the cable. Two small swinging latches b b,pivoted to the plates B B, are adapted to swing into the position shownin Figs.` 5 and 6 and prevent accidental upward movement of the rod c,thereby preventing accidental escape of the rod from the hook d untilthe latter is moved downward completely to the position in Fig. 5, inthe manner hereinafter explained.

Between the plates B B is pivoted a tumbler E, formed at one end with anotch e, and having at its opposite end a shoulder adapted to receive ashort locking-lever e', also piv oted between the two plates, the pointof at- ICO tachment fr of tlie'operating-rope R being above the pivot ofthe tumbler and on the side thereof toward the notch e. The notch e isadapted to receive a transverse pin f, lying between the upper ends ofthe cheekpieces F of the pulley-block R3, and thus to support thepulley-block and scoop when the tumbler is locked in the position shownin Fig. 5. A transverse pin e2, Fig. 5, is set in the tumbler E andpasses through a slot d in the locking-lever D, and by means of thisengagement the oscillation of the tumbler Oscillates the lever D,thereby raising and lowering the hook d.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, the carriage beinglooked to the transverse pin in the ends of the bars C2, the hook d israised to engage the transverse pin, the short locking-lever e being outof engagement with the end of the tumbler, the opposite end of thetumbler being dropped down and the pulley-block R2 being free from thecarriage. Then the parts are in this position the scoop may be iilled bymeans of the draftrope, and may then be raised until it reaches theposition shown in Fig. 5, when the transverse pin f will enter the notche of the tumbler, lifting the latter to the position shown in Fig. 5 andpermitting the engagement with the tumbler of the short lockinglever e',thus securing the pulley-block and scoop in their raised position. Thesame upward movement of the notched end of the tumbler raises theslotted end of the locking'- lever D and depresses the opposite end ofthe lever to the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby permitting thecarriage to move away from the locking device C C C2.

The scoop or scraper supported upon the pulley-block R2 resembles inmany respects the scraper which I have shown and described in a priorpatent, No. 506,667, but has certain novel features which may beparticularly described. The body of the scraper consists of two` endpieces G G, approximately triangular in shape and having their basescurved approximately in arcs of circles, anda casing G' connecting thetwo end pieces and extending along one straight side and the curved baseof each end piece.

Tov the outer faces of the end pieces are pivoted two bars-H Il,connected by a transverse bar II, set back aconsiderable distancefromthe bars Il Il, and joined to them by means of'parallel side piecesH2', lying alongthe end pieces G G of the scraper. In the scraper asheretofore constructed by me the bars H H'y were connected by atransverse bar lying substantially in their own plane 5 but Ihave foundthat the offset transverse bar shown herein has the advantage of leavingthe entire throat of the scraperl open, so that it may be more readilyilled.

To the inner faces of the end pieces Gl G are pivoted two latches I I,providedV with springs z t andhavin g their outer ends hooked to-engagethe bars H2, as shown in Figs. 2, 3

and 5. The free ends of the latches l I are in engagement with shortarms 7c, formed on a crank-lever K, pivoted in suitable ears k', therocking of the crank-lever in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 3 being adapted to disengage the hooks of the latches l l from theends of the bar H2. Then the hooks of the latches I l are in engagementwith the transverse bar of the scraper and the scraper is suspended fromthe pulley-block R2, the crank-lever K is in the position shown in Fig.5, and its movement in the direction indicated by the arrow in thatfigure is adapted to release it from the bars H2 and permit the scoop toswing about the pivots at the lower ends of the bars H Il, and therebydischarge its contents.

At any desired point upon the cable A is secured the mechanism shown inFigs. 5, 7, 8 and 9, which is adapted to operate the cranklever K anddump the scraper in the manner described in the last precedingparagraph. This mechanism consists of a frame made up of two parallelsets of bars united by suitable transverse bolts so as to embrace thecable, the frame being made up in substance of horizontal bars L L,lying above the cable, and downwardly-extending bars Ll L2, joined tothe bars L L, the bar L2 being curved at its lower end toward the barL', as clearly shown in the figures. The frame is provided with tworollers R4 R4, resting upon the cable, and with a stationary jaw Z,above and in contact with the cable. A second jaw Z lies below the cableand is vertically movable so as to be pressed against it, and a lever Z2is pivoted to the frame and adapted to press the movable jaw upwardagainst the cable and lock the frame in place at any desired pointthereof. This lever may be operated by means of a cord Z3, attached toits lower end and passing about a pulley, as shown in Fig. 7, theapplication of force to the respectiveV ends of the cords being adaptedto move the free end of the lever correspondingly and thus to loosen ortighten the clamp Z.

Between the two bars L2 L2 is pivoted a lever M, connected at its upperend with a horiZontally-sliding bar M and at its lower end with ahoriZontally-moving bar M2, sus` IOO IIO

pended by means of a link MS from the point raised from the positionshown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 5, and is there'locked toL thecarriage, thereby releasing the carriage fromthe lock C C2, the` draftvupon the rope R moves the carriage and scraper along the cable towardthe dumping device just eX- plained until the carriage strikes the freeend of the bar ifi', as shown in Fig. 5, thereby forcing this partbackward and pressing the free end of the bar M2 forward and slightlyupward. This movement of the bar swings the crank-lever K in thedirection indicated by the arrow thereon in Fig. 5, and thus dumps thescraper and permits its contents to fall to the ground. The slackeningof the rope then permits the carriage to run back toward the lock C' C2,the scraper during this movement being locked to the carriage.

Between the dumping device and the locking device on the cable issecured at any suitable point a block O, provided with a dependent latcho, adapted to swing in one direction but not in the other from itsnormal vertical position. The position of this latch is such as to`permit the carriage to move freely from the locking device C' G2 to thedumping device; but upon the return of the carriage the shortlocking-lever e' in passing under the latch o is thrown out ofengagement with the end of the tumbler, and the notched end of thetumbler is thereby permitted to drop down and release the scraper, whichthus descends to the ground while the carriage is still moving towardthe lock upon the cable, the scraper being thus ready for filling whenthe cable reaches the locking device and is secured in a stationaryposition.

The dumping mechanism hereinbetore described resembles somewhat infunction and operation the one which I have shown and described in saidformer patent; but it has the advantage of equalizing the strain andshock brought upon it by the carriage and scraper, since this strain iscommunicated` through the ends of the two parts M M2, instead of beingapplied at a single point. It has the t'urther advantage of readyadjustability upon the cable, and I have found in practice that itstrains the cable much less than the other device, for the reason thatit does not produce the upward thrust upon and deiiection of the cablewhich was incident to the use of the other form.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-n 1. The combination with thebody of a scraper formed substantially as described, of the bars, Il, H,pivoted to the scraper and connected by the offset transverse bar, H',and side bars, H2, the latches adapted to engage said bars, thecrank-lever, K, engaging said latches and adapted by its oscillation todisengage them from the bars and permit inversion of the scraper;substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the cable andthe locking device secured theretoand embodying the suitably supported bars, C2, C2, provided with thetransverse pin, c, of the car# riage frame, B, B, provided with rollersresting upon the cable, the oscillating lever, D, provided with a hookadapted to engage the pin, c, the latches, Z9, b, adapted to secure thetransverse pin against accidental vertical movement and meanssubstantially as shown and described for operating the hooked lever andthereby locking and unlocking the carriage at a predetermined point uponthe cable.

3. The combination with the cable, the carriage moving on the cable, andthe scoop dependent from the carriage, ofthe bars, I-I, H, pivoted tothe scoop and connected by a transverse bar, the latches, I, I, alsopivoted to the scoop and adapted to engage the bars, H, H, or anattachment thereof, the crank lever, K, pivoted to the scoop and adaptedto actuate the latches, and a dumping mechanism supported upon the cablesubstantially as 'shown and described and embodying a suitable framesupported by the cable, a swinging lever, M, pivoted to the frame, andtwo horizontally moving bars, M', M2, connected with and actuated bysaid lever, one of said bars being adapted to receive the thrust of thecarriage, and the other being adapted to actuate the crank lever uponthe scoop; substantially as shown and described.

a. The combination with the cable, the carriage moving thereon, and thescoop supported thereby and provided with the bars, H, H, latches, I, I,and crank lever, K, operating substantially as described, ofthe frame,L, L', L2, supported upon the cable and provided with clamping jaws, Z,Z', the lever, Z2 Z2, adapted to operate one of said jaws and therebyclamp the frame to the cable, and mechanism supported by the frame andadapted to receive the thrust of the crank lever upon the scoop andthereby disengage the latches, I, I, and permit the dumping of thescoop.

5. The combination with the cable, the carriage moving thereon and thescoop supported thereby and provided with locking means for holding itin an upright position, of the frame supported on the cable and providedwith means for actuating the locking device on the scoop, clamping jawsmounted on said frame and adapted to grip the cable, a lever operatingone .of said jaws and a cord attached to the lever whereby it may beoper ated vfrom a distance; substantially as shown and described.

DANIEL i. cALHoUN.

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